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5-28-08

Media Release

Fellows Named for Summer Research Program

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The 2008 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Summer Research Program at Oregon State University has selected 43 undergraduate students for fellowships in the biological sciences, allowing them to spend their summer doing original research with faculty mentors.

Thirty-six of the students are from OSU; seven from other institutions. They will conduct studies in areas ranging from nanotechnology to groundwater remediation to marine biology.

Funding for this program, which has been ongoing at OSU for a decade, is provided by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. It’s one part of a larger initiative at OSU to enhance biology instruction for college and pre-college students.

Acceptance into the competitive program is based on the stated interests, future plans, academic record, and potential for success of applicants. Fellows will be paid $3,800 for the 11-week program.

According to Dan Arp, dean of the University Honors College, at OSU and program director for the grant, the participants will meet with each other on a regular basis during the summer and then take part in a symposium Sept. 25-26 to present their research results.

Additional support for the program this year came from the university’s URISC program, University Honors College, the Cripps Scholarship fund, the Jaworski Scholarship fund, and numerous research grants from the National Science Foundation and other agencies.

“Oregon State University has long recognized the unique educational value of an individual research experience,” said Kevin Ahern, faculty coordinator for the summer fellowship projects. “The Howard Hughes grant substantially increases the number of students who are able to participate in this intense, full-time research experience over a several-month period.”

More than 360 students have participated in the program during its 10 years at OSU. For more information on the program, contact Kevin Ahern at his e-mail address: ahernk@onid.orst.edu

Fellowship recipients for 2008 include:

Name, Major, Mentor

Amanda Amstutz, Zoology*, Bruce Menge
Julie Auxier, Bioengineering*, Joe McGuire
Brett Bemer, Biochemistry/Biophysics, Sharon Krueger
Jennifer Bergh, Horticulture, Sujaya Rao
Katie Brempelis, Biology, Jim Carrington
Chris Brown, Biochemistry/Biophysics, Walt Ream
Nikki Buck, Bioengineering, Skip Rochefort (Non-OSU)
Lisa Ching, General Science, Mark Zabriskie
Michael Clement, Biology, Steve Giovannoni
Megan Cook, Biology, Mark Hixon
Paul Dornath, Chemical Engineering*, Skip Rochefort
Carly Dougher, Biochemistry/Biophysics, Joe Beckman
Robert Elder, Chemical Engineering*, Adam Higgins
Jesse Fitzpatrick, Biology, Joe Beckman (Non-OSU)
Caslin Gilroy, Bioengineering*, Lewis Semprini
Natalya Goloviznina, Microbiology, Hiro Nonogaki
Jimmy Hoang, Biology*, Erica Bakker
Scott Hollingsworth, Biochemistry/Biophysics, Andy Karplus
Wade Holman, Botany/Plant Pathology, Lynda Ciuffetti
Simon Johnson, Biochemistry/Biophysics, Jim Carrington
Marshall Knoderbane, Zoology, David Lytle
Kurtulus Kok, Foreign Institution, Gary Merrill (Non-OSU)
Christina Lackey, Zoology*, Robert Mason
Sherry Lee, Biology, Jaga Giebultowicz (Non-OSU)
Thomas Lew, Human Biology, Joe Beckman (Non-OSU)
Nick Lowery, Bioengineering*, Adam Higgins
Kathryn McHenry, Nutrition*, Fred Stormshak
Kara Miles-Rockenfield, Microbiology*, Lynda Ciuffetti
Theresa Nguyen, Biology, Hiro Nonogaki
Hong Nguyen, Microbiology, Gary Merrill
Jennifer Osburn, Zoology*, Virginia Weis
Dan Preston, Biology*, Craig Mosley
Susan Puckett, Microbiology*, Valerie Mizrahi/Digby Warner
Sydney Radding, Biochemistry/Biophysics*, Gary Merrill
Luisa Snyder, Biology, John Fowler
Sierra Spencer, Biochemistry/Biophysics, Andrew Buermeyer
Haley Thompson, Mechanical Engineering, Skip Rochefort(Non-OSU)
Colin Tominey, Biochemistry/Biophysics, John Hays
Karen Tonsfeldt, Zoology/Psychology, Patrick Chappell
Emily Uhrig, Biology, Robert Mason (Non-OSU)
Stephanie Weitz, Biology, Dee Denver
Tammy Winfield, Pest Management, John Lambrinos
Daniel Zollinger, Biochemistry/Biophysics, Joe Beckman

(*Honors Student)

About Oregon State University: OSU is one of only two U.S. universities designated a land-, sea-, space- and sun-grant institution. OSU is also Oregon’s only university designated in the Carnegie Foundation’s top tier for research institutions, garnering more than 60 percent of the total federal and private research funding in the Oregon University System. Its more than 19,700 students come from all 50 states and more than 80 countries.